Your copy. Your pace.

CPA client onboarding

Move an accepted proposal through identity checks, engagement review, signatures, and payment confirmation without losing the owner of the next step. Each transition requires authoritative evidence. Draft documents and invoices stay behind approval checkpoints, and the workflow never treats an email open or payment-link click as a completed engagement.

Planning workbook. This file helps you document a process. It does not connect to accounts, read records, send messages, or complete external actions. It works offline and sends no entries anywhere. Entries are not saved automatically; export or print a copy before closing. Avoid entering sensitive information.

1. Define the starting point

Onboarding often stalls between sales and delivery. Define a small state machine with an owner, entry condition, and exit condition for every state. An engagement is ready only when the firm confirms all required conditions.

Process owner and backup rolesWhat will count as complete?

Current handling time and exceptions

2. Walk through the process

1. Create the candidate record

Normalize the inquiry, deduplicate against stable CRM identifiers, and record the requested service without accepting it automatically.

We have defined the owner, required information, and completion check for this step.Step 1 working notes

2. Run acceptance review

Assign conflict, independence, capacity, and scope checks to the appropriate staff. A system search supports the decision; it does not make it.

We have defined the owner, required information, and completion check for this step.Step 2 working notes

3. Prepare the engagement

Populate an approved document template with the selected scope. Staff checks names, fees, exclusions, and jurisdiction before release.

We have defined the owner, required information, and completion check for this step.Step 3 working notes

4. Wait for authoritative events

Process the e-sign provider completion event and the payment processor confirmation. Validate signatures, authenticate webhooks, and deduplicate callbacks.

We have defined the owner, required information, and completion check for this step.Step 4 working notes

5. Handoff to delivery

Create the task list only after the acceptance gate clears. Send a concise internal summary with secure links rather than client documents.

We have defined the owner, required information, and completion check for this step.Step 5 working notes

3. Check the information

Use invented references in this worksheet. Keep real documents and personal records in an appropriate private system.

Reference field	Working record	Check
crm_contact_id	client_reference	Do not deduplicate on email alone
proposal_version	scope_version	Retain the accepted scope
envelope_id	engagement_reference	Use provider completion status
payment_event_id	retainer_status	Verify payment with the processor
acceptance_owner	review_owner	Explicit accountable staff member

Source of truth and access boundaries

4. Verify the process

Use synthetic examples. Mark a check only after recording what actually happened.

An unsigned engagement cannot enter ready-to-work.A duplicate payment callback does not recreate the client.A declined acceptance review closes outstanding tasks.A proposal revision invalidates an old document draft.A named person can resolve an unclear or incorrect result.Work stops when the task is complete, withdrawn, or outside the agreed scope.A duplicate or interrupted handoff can be recovered without repeating a consequential action.Expected result, observed result, and recovery notes

5. Decide the next step

Your smallest reversible pilotReview date and decision

Retain qualified professional review for legal, accounting, tax, medical, financial, or other consequential decisions. This workbook does not certify compliance or guarantee results.